2019 SkillsUSA State Conference Scheduled

The 46th annual SkillsUSA Wisconsin State Leadership and Skills Conference will be held Tues., April 30 – Wed., May 1, 2019, at the Alliant Energy Center, 1919 Alliant Energy Center Way, in Madison, Wis. In addition, competitive events will also be held at Madison Area Technical College, 1701 Wright Street in Madison, on May 1.

The 2019 conference will feature more than 1,800 middle and high school students, more than 300 teachers, and over 300 industry volunteers working in more than 80 competitions. Often comprising a number of team members, students will work against the clock and each other, proving their expertise in competitions in a wide array of skill sets, including Advertising Design, Automated Manufacturing Technology, Carpentry, Computer Programming, Electrical Construction Wiring, Power Equipment Technology, Sheet Metal, Welding Fabrication, and dozens more. New competition categories for 2019 include Audio/ Radio Production, Barbering, CNC Turning Specialist, Collision Damage Appraisal, Crime Scene Investigation, Customer Service, Mechatronics, Medical Math, and Medical Terminology. All contests are conducted under the direction of industry experts, trade associations, and labor organizations, testing competencies that are set to industry standards.

The first-place winners will go on to compete in the National SkillsUSA Championships, this June in Louisville, Ky. Hours on April 30 are noon – 6 p.m., with the opening ceremony scheduled for 1 p.m. The State Championships will commence on May 1 at 7:30 a.m. and conclude at 4 p.m. The award ceremony will be held at 6:30 p.m. Admission to the SkillsUSA Wisconsin State Leadership and Skills Conference is free and the public is encouraged to attend. SkillsUSA Wisconsin, with nearly 4,000 members in over 180 chapters, is a partnership of students, teachers, and industry representatives working together to ensure America has a skilled work force. Helping each student excel and a solution to shrinking the skills gap, SkillsUSA is a national nonprofit organization serving teachers and high school and college students who are preparing for careers in trade, technical, and skilled service occupations.

SkillsUSA empowers its members to become world-class workers, leaders and responsible American citizens. SkillsUSA improves the quality of our nation’s future skilled workforce through the development of framework skills that include personal, workplace, and technical skills grounded in academics. The SkillsUSA mission is built upon — and its success depends on — the commitment of members and partners to the following values: integrity, respect, responsibility, citizenship, and service. For more information on the SkillsUSA Wisconsin State Leadership and Skills Conference, visit www.skillsusa-wi.org or call 608-266-2683.